Incredible journey to stardom for 'Captain Phillips' actor

Barkhad Abdi is being praised for his villainous role in 'Captain Phillips,' but not everyone knows just how incredible his rise to fame has been.

Abdi was a limo driver when he saw an ad on Minneapolis' local TV news looking for actors. Though he had high hopes, he had no idea that he'd eventually get the role ... and go on to nab Best Supporting Actor nominations for the SAG awards and the Golden Gobes.

All he knew about the movie was that it was a Tom Hanks film. 'To me it was like, I have to try it. If I don't get it, then at least I tried,' Abdi says.

Getting the part was 'surreal,' but he admits he was still incredibly nervous to meet Tom Hanks. The two didn't actually come face-to-face until they shot their very first scene together.

Abdi says Tom Hanks was really there as a mentor, always telling him to believe in himself. 'It was all just amazing,' Abdi exclaims.

His advice is simple: follow your dreams, no matter how lofty they seem.